Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Carthage

For one person, living is cheaper in Carthage: $693 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Carthage, Tunisia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Carthage
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Carthage

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Carthage actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $693 in Carthage.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Carthage $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,103 in Carthage.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Carthage $1,103

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,513 in Carthage.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Carthage $1,513

Living in Barcelona is roughly 254% more expensive than in Carthage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Carthage is 49% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$4.56 TND 13.69
285.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$22.10 TND 66.4
205.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$5.84 TND 17.54
131.68%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$1.12 TND 3.36
184.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.74 TND 2.21
293.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.29 TND 0.88
551.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$1.71 TND 5.15
134.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$1.96 TND 5.88
131.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.48 TND 1.45
172.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.26 TND 0.78
676.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.71 TND 5.13
8.19%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$1.73 TND 5.20
179.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$10.21 TND 30.66
63.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$5.92 TND 17.79
54.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$14.61 TND 43.90
34.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$1.36 TND 4.07
119.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$3.61 TND 10.84
-44.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$1.16 TND 3.48
132.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$0.77 TND 2.32
263.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.83 TND 2.50
151.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.69 TND 2.07
200.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$0.53 TND 1.58
175.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.31 TND 0.93
203.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$3.75 TND 11.28
83.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$6.67 TND 20.04
18.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.22 TND 3.68
15.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.30 TND 3.90
95.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.41 TND 1.22
665.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$13.59 TND 40.83
87.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$0.33 TND 0.99
806.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.35 TND 1.06
325.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$1.79 TND 5.37
1764.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.84 TND 2.52
114.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$39.0K TND 117.3K
-15.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$35.8K TND 107.5K
-11.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$45.26 TND 136
298.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$8.90 TND 26.74
55.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$20.82 TND 62.6
61.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$31.89 TND 95.8
61.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$13.15 TND 39.51
21.37%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$4.95 TND 14.87
122.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$107 TND 321
758.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$3,149 TND 9,462
423.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$43.81 TND 132
98.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$60.7 TND 182
-36.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$113 TND 338
-6.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$67.8 TND 204
76.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$204 TND 613
732.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$153 TND 460
785.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$206 TND 620
1161.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$276 TND 830
646.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$972 TND 2,922
611.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$616 TND 1,851
732.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Carthage
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$264 TND 793
738.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
10.65
-69.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carthage: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Carthage
$153 88.7% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Carthage
$194 39.7% $128
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Carthage
$84 68.7% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Carthage
$75 67.1% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Carthage
$128 18.8% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Carthage
$42 43.1% $32
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Carthage
$17 64.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $204 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $22 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $194 per month, with Carthage cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇹🇳 Carthage
🕒 Local time
22:23 10:23 PM
22:23 10:23 PM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
21,276
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Carthage 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Carthage

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Barcelona vs Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Carthage?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $693 in Carthage, so Carthage is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Carthage?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 8.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Carthage?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $204 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Carthage?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $107 in Carthage. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $693 in Carthage versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Carthage?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Carthage?
Expats usually find Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?